Deadline Approaching: Claim Your $1,400 Stimulus Check from 2021 by Tuesday

April 15, 2025 TruthUSA

The Internal Revenue Service has announced that most taxpayers eligible for the stimulus payments under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act have already received their funds.

According to the IRS, Tuesday marks the last chance for Americans to request a COVID-19 pandemic-related stimulus payment of $1,400.

April 15 not only signifies Tax Day but also serves as the three-year deadline for claiming the 2021 tax credits and refunds, which include the $1,400 stimulus payment distributed to millions of Americans. There are still some individuals who have yet to receive or file for this payment.

The IRS specifies a three-year deadline for claiming refunds on tax returns. If taxpayers do not meet this deadline, they risk forfeiting their refunds for that tax year.

A separate announcement issued by the IRS on April 11 indicated that the deadline to file for and receive the 2021 stimulus checks, categorized as Recovery Rebate Credits, is fast approaching.

The tax agency cautioned, “Time is running out to file a tax return and claim their money.” They highlighted that the Recovery Rebate Credit is a refundable credit for individuals who did not receive one or more Economic Impact Payments, popularly referred to as stimulus payments, in 2021.

The IRS confirmed that most eligible taxpayers have already received their stimulus checks, as the agency stated.

In an effort to mitigate the economic challenges presented by the government’s response to COVID-19, Congress enacted multiple rounds of stimulus payments during the pandemic, including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which included the last series of stimulus checks.

Earlier this year, the IRS began distributing payments to those eligible individuals who failed to claim their payments on their 2021 tax returns. Payments were sent out in December 2024 and January 2025 to approximately 1 million Americans who had not received the checks, as the IRS reported.

The IRS noted that “all payments should be received by late January 2025, and taxpayers do not need to take any specific action to receive these payments.” They further explained, “the payment will be sent to the bank account listed on the taxpayer’s 2023 tax return or to the designated address.”

The IRS stated that any remaining taxpayers who have yet to file their 2021 taxes but may still qualify for the $1,400 payment “must submit a 2021 tax return by April 15, 2025, to claim the credit and any additional refund they may be entitled to receive, even if their income was minimal or nonexistent.”

Payments issued beginning in December 2024 “are targeted only to those taxpayers for whom IRS data indicates eligibility for the credit,” the IRS clarified. “Qualified taxpayers are those who filed a 2021 tax return but left the Recovery Rebate Credit field blank or incorrectly reported it as $0 when they were actually eligible for the credit.”

The amount of the 2021 stimulus is based on the taxpayer’s adjusted gross income. Single filers must have had an annual income of no more than $75,000, while married couples filing jointly must have kept their income below $150,000 for that year, according to the IRS statement.

In 2020, the IRS issued two rounds of Economic Impact Payments during the pandemic. However, due to the three-year filing deadline, taxpayers can no longer claim those payments.

April 15 also serves as the filing deadline for most taxpayers’ 2024 tax returns, although individuals in areas affected by recent natural disasters can request an extension.

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